FAQ Quick Links


What are the changes for 2021?

Payments for 2021 are changing and will require all participants to pay a portion of their registration fee upfront.

 

To complete their registration, the participant will be presented with a new, mandatory payment option covering the minimum registration fee which is equal to the FFA National Registration Fee (NRF) and Member Federation levy only. 

 


What does this mean for my club?

Firstly, Clubs will continue to have complete control over how their club fee is paid by the participant. The registration fee received by the Club will include their portion of the fee plus their association/zone’s fee if applicable. This means alternate payment methods such as cash, bank EFT and payment plans can still be allowed for the remaining registration fee. Clubs can also nominate to accept online payments if it is set up and enabled.


When will these changes be made? Will I be trained?

This functionality will be live before the 2021 registration season. Training content will be available in the leadup to delivering this change and will also be supported by your Member Federation Digital Operations Member.


What are the benefits of taking payments online?

There are several benefits for clubs, their administrators, and volunteers if they wish to collect their portion of registration fees online.


Importantly, the collection of fees is made instantly when a participant has completed to their registration. Further, electronic transactions reduce the risk of mistakes that can occur through cash payments of registrations and they provide in-system electronic receipts of money paid to enable important traceability of funds.


A transaction fee of 1.1% will be applied to the registration fee paid either by the participant or if nominated, absorbed by the club.


Do my participants need to pay the entire fee online? 

No, only the Minimum Fee will need to be paid online at the time of registration.

Clubs will only need to focus on collecting the club (and association/zone fee if applicable) from the participant and this can be done by alternative payment methods. This is to ensure maximum flexibility with the club and participant for the remainder of their registration. Clubs should also consider the benefits of allowing online payments to improve collection time at point of registration.

Can clubs still offer alternate payment methods?

Yes, clubs can still offer alternate payment methods for their portion of the registration fee.


What happens if participants don’t have access to a debit or credit card?

If participants don’t have access to a debit/credit card, then you can look at alternative payment solutions such as prepaid gift cards available at most supermarkets.


Do I need online payments setup with IPSI with this new process?

No, IPSI is not mandatory for all clubs and the system will direct participants to only pay the governing body fee at point of registration. There are benefits for clubs to enable online payments as it will allow participants to pay their entire fee at point of registration, reducing the collection time for clubs.


How do I set up my club to receive online payments?

For instructions on how to accept online payments, please follow the support article found here.


Can I configure a registrant to pay the full fee at the time of registration? 


Yes, this can be configured on the sign-up form but also requires the club to be setup on the IPSI payment gateway. Instructions on how to get set up can be found here.


What is the online processing fee?


The processing fee is charged for all online payments and is 1.1% of the total fee charged.   This fee reflects the cost to FFA of processing credit card payments via the secure online payment gateway. If a participant paid the minimum fee at registration then the remaining fee via the online participant portal, the total processing fee will be the same as if they paid the total at time of registration.


What will happen to invoices for a registrant?


Participants will be able to view their invoices through the participant portal. Administrators will be able to use Play Football’s admin portal to access participant invoices and manage outstanding fees. The invoices have been updated to represent the amount due, amount paid and total registration fee to provide clear reconciliation for all. Financial Reports will also be updated to further support this process.


What is the refund policy for Member Federation and FFA?


FFA’s policy is that participants will only be eligible for a refund of the National Registration Fee (NRF) in exceptional circumstances that warrant a refund (such as where they have not participated in football and a club has been unable to accommodate them) or where a refund is required in accordance with consumer protection laws.  Where a participant changes clubs during a season and pays the NRF again as part of their registration fees for the subsequent Club, they will be entitled to a refund of the NRF paid in respect of their prior club. Member Federations will each have their own policy dealing with the eligibility for a refund of their respective portions of a player’s registration fees.  FFA will be publishing a National Refund Policy in due course which will provide further information.

How will refunds be processed now?


The key change is that eligibility for a refund of the Governing Body fees will be determined by the relevant governing body (or their delegate) and not by clubs on their behalf.  This process is already in place for many clubs in Member Federations who have published Refund Policies relating to Governing Body fees.  Clubs should be aware not to approve or issue refunds for Governing Body fees unless the process has been duly followed and the Governing Body fee refund has been approved and communicated by the Member Federation to the Club.


Can I process a refund through playfootball?

No, the system currently doesn’t support an integrated refund solution.  Therefore, refunds will continue to be processed outside of the PlayFootball system, via means such as electronic funds transfer to the participant’s nominated bank account.


How will vouchers or discounts be applied in 2021?


Club-generated vouchers and/or discounts can be used for up to 100% of the club's component of the registration. Clubs can still choose to set Products as a 'Zero Cost Product' at the Member Federation's permission. These will only be used strictly in cases where there is a genuine need for the club to pay fees on the participant's behalf (e.g. Pro player or if clubs offer fee free registrations). In cases where the FFA and Member Federation fees have been paid directly, the club will be invoiced for these fees by their governing body. For NSW clubs see the treatment of the Active Kids Voucher below.


How do my participants use their active kids voucher (NSW)?


Yes, Active Kids Vouchers can be fully deducted from registration fee(s) so long as the total registration fee is equal or greater than $100.

 

The code must be entered irrespective of whether the participant is paying the partial or full fees at checkout. The registration fee will reduce by the total value of the voucher amount, even if the voucher consumes some or all of the FFA and Member Federation fee.

 

The system will allow the voucher to be fully exhasted, even if the voucher reduces some or all of the FFA and Member Federation fees. In this case, the entire fee will be paid to the club. In cases where the FFA and Member Federation fees have been paid directly to the club, the club will be invoiced for these fees by their governing body as per the traditional invoicing process.


How do my participants use their government vouchers (states outside of NSW)?


The system will support government vouchers using the in-system methods such as negative Add-on or Product. Your Member Federation or Association/Zone representative will advise you on the best approach to managing these in the system. 

 

Club-generated vouchers and/or discounts can be used for up to 100% of the club's component of the registration. Clubs can still choose to set Products as a 'Zero Cost Product' at the Member Federation's permission. These will only be used strictly in cases where there is a genuine need for the club to pay fees on the participant's behalf (e.g. Pro player). 


Where can I find the FAQ's for participants?

A participant focused FAQ can be found here and will be regularly updated.


I have more questions about this feature, who can I speak to?


For any queries, please forward them via PlayFootball support by lodging a ticket at https://support.playfootball.com.au/support/tickets/new and select “Payments changes for 2021” in the help with drop down.